Before I begin, its got to be said…why are the members of Savatage not making new music as a band? I know the Trans Siberian Orchestra is very successful and busy, but when you have Zak Stevens (vocals) making great music like “Seasons Will Fall” that’s in the style from the “Wake Of Magellan”, Jon Oliva’s Pain covering the “Mountain King” to “Streets” era, Chris Caffery solo, and Al Pitrelli writing and playing with TSO (which is an extension of the Tage albums “Dead Winter Dead” through “Poets And Madmen”, individually each member can contribute a couple songs from each solo/band release towards a Savatage album. Am I right??

If ‘Diamond Blade’ is not a Savatage song, then I don’t know what is. Lol. Look, Circle II Circle are their own band, not every album and song is reminiscent of Savatage, and the similarities and influences to are unavoidable, but positive. Moving along, ‘Without A Song’ is carried by a great grinding riff with some fitting backing piano and Zak’s great melody base chorus. ‘Killing Death’ is a familiar composition for Circle, begun with riffs, into a more melodic verse to progish chorus without losing the base guitars. Good stuff. Wow, haha, does that opening piano/riff to ‘Epiphany’ just scream classic Savatage, nice to hear this side of them is still alive, and speaking of, the riff to ‘Never Gonna Stop’ brought me right back to the album ‘Power Of The Night’. Nice job. ‘End Of Emotion’ is another example of Circle II Circle’s way of writing a song and maybe the album “Burden Of Truth”. “Seasons Will Fall” title track is a strong musical piece, great piano, heavy hitting riff, power packed lead and backing vocals. Excellence. More great riffing carries ‘Isolation’ (with a really tasty solo) and ‘Dreams That Never Die’.

“Seasons Will Fall”, and much of the Circle II Circle catalogue, is not just good music from a talented (metal) singer who surrounds himself with great players, but everything Savatage fans want to hear from the post – Criss Oliva era.